The Honest Woodcutter story

The Honest Woodcutter
Once upon a time, in a small village nestled by a dense forest, there lived a poor but honest woodcutter named Ravi. Every day, he ventured into the forest to chop wood, which he sold in the market to earn a modest living.
One day, as Ravi was cutting down a tree near a river, his axe slipped from his hands and fell into the water. The river was deep, and Ravi could not retrieve his precious tool. Distraught, he sat by the riverbank and wept.
Suddenly, the river spirit appeared before him, holding a shiny golden axe. "Is this your axe?" the spirit asked. Ravi shook his head and replied, "No, that's not my axe."
The spirit then showed him a silver axe. "Is this your axe?" the spirit asked again. Ravi once more shook his head. "No, that's not mine either," he said.
Finally, the spirit brought forth Ravi's old, worn-out axe. "Is this your axe?" the spirit asked. Ravi's face lit up with joy. "Yes, that's my axe!" he exclaimed.
Impressed by Ravi's honesty, the river spirit gifted him all three axes-the gold, the silver, and his old one. Ravi returned to his village, grateful and content, having learned that honesty is always rewarded. From then on, he continued to live a life of integrity and prosperity.
The moral of the story is: Honesty is the best policy.